Waltham officials tour Fernald site, discuss possibilities

Wednesday

Oct 1, 2014 at 3:00 PM

By Eli Shermanesherman@wickedlocal.com

High school. Police Department. Cemetery. Housing. Private development. Open space. Recreation.Pensive city officials talked about future possibilities while walking the corridors of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center on Tuesday during a tour of the Fernald property at 200 Trapelo Road.Mayor Jeannette McCarthy invited elected officials, city board and committee members, and city workers to tour select buildings and grounds at the property, which is home to the Walter E. Fernald Center, the nation’s oldest public institution for people with developmental disabilities.The city is slated to buy the property from the state and with nearly 200 acres of land and more than 70 buildings coming in the deal – at a price tag of $3.7 million – ideas of what could happen next seem endless – and everyone’s got one.But logistical, monetary and bureaucratic realities will likely complicate any and all plans.The property is touted as the largest piece of undeveloped land inside the Route 128 corridor, but the state is handing over a piece of land ridden with deteriorating buildings and contaminated wetlands.Nature itself has begun to re-stake a claim to the property, as dozens of abandoned buildings are disappearing beneath its vegetation.For McCarthy, though, most of the buildings come in second place to the land."The value is mostly in the property because of the condition of the buildings," McCarthy said.Nearly 30 city officials joined McCarthy’s tour. The largest contingent came from the School Department, which is currently seeking solutions to its growing enrollment and aging high school.Everyone explored the Shriver Center, which – until less than two years ago – was used as a collegiate research center for about 45 years. Director of campus safety Paul Bermingham says it’s in better shape than any other defunct building on the site, as it’s only weathered one winter without heat and water.Waltham School Committee, which has expressed an interest in the building, was likely to discuss the visit at its meeting Wednesday, but a new high school would likely be more cost efficient than refurbishing a building like the Shriver Center, according to McCarthy.Bermingham says rapid deterioration is inevitable without proper upkeep and chipped paint and evidence of mold could be found in certain areas of the center.The Shriver Center aside, the future of all buildings on the site is clouded. The city will have to decide whether to refurbish or demolish the standing structures, which include schoolhouses, residential buildings, recreational facilities and garages, just to name a few.Further complicating the city’s decision is the fact that most – if not all – are historic, as the land itself is considered historic."The entire property was designated historic by the state and that includes individual buildings that are not otherwise considered historic," said Alex Green, chairman of the Waltham Historical Commission.McCarthy wants to demolish the "cottages" in the northern part of the property to restore natural wetlands and alleviate some of the flooding it afflicts to other parts of the city. Sections of the wetlands, however, are contaminated in part because of a partially dismantled power plant.The public will get its chance to view the site, as McCarthy said a public tour will be scheduled. Green says he – and others – will also be back."I would say it was a great first walkthrough," Green said. "I think everyone walked away thinking that, but the boards and commissions will be needing to go back up there."